Lights! Camera! Virtues! Using Film to Teach About Positive Psychology

Reviews the book, Positive psychology at the movies: Using films to build virtues and character strengths by Ryan M. Niemiec and Danny Wedding (see record 2008-09883-000). In their second book on film pedagogy again argue that films are a very useful medium for teaching and learning about psychology and psychological issues. They tackle positive psychology, the new area of the discipline focused on increasing well-being and happiness through the study and propagation of beneficial traits, core virtues, and human strengths (e.g., Peterson, 2006; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). In particular, the authors examine the supporting role of what Peterson and Seligman (2004) referred to as character strengths in many movies. The main message in this book is that, as movie viewers, we can become more virtuous by both learning from and potentially emulating some of the character strengths playing out on the big screen. This is not a book that must be read from cover to cover. Instead, the authors counsel treating the text as more of a reference book, one designed to point readers and "grazers" in the right direction when seeking to match a research topic to an illustrative film. This book is a practical and enjoyable guide to good ways to use powerful, engaging movies to explore and understand character and values. We and our students will all benefit from dipping into this fine book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)